The transcription factor AtGLK1 acts upstream of MYBL2 to genetically regulate sucrose-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis.

BACKGROUND: The regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis by various factors including sugars, light and abiotic stresses is mediated by numerous regulatory factors acting at the transcriptional level. Here experimental evidence was provided in order to demonstrate that the nuclear GARP transcription factor AtGLK1 plays an important role in regulating sucrose-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. RESULTS: The results obtained using real-time quantitative PCR and GUS staining assays revealed that AtGLK1 was mainly expressed in the green tissues of Arabidopsis seedlings and could be induced by sucrose. The loss-of-function glk1 glk2 double mutant has lower anthocyanin levels than the glk2 single mutant, although it has been determined that loss of AtGLK1 alone does not affect anthocyanin accumulation. Overexpression of AtGLK1 enhances the accumulation of anthocyanin in transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings accompanied by increased expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic and regulatory genes. Moreover, we found that AtGLK1 also participates in plastid-signaling mediated anthocyanin accumulations. Genetic, physiological, and molecular biological approaches demonstrated that AtGLK1 acts upstream of MYBL2, which is a key negative regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis, to genetically regulate sucrose-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that AtGLK1 positively regulates sucrose-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis via MYBL2.

A Novel Auto-Sorting System for Chinese Cabbage Seeds.

This paper presents a novel machine vision-based auto-sorting system for Chinese cabbage seeds. The system comprises an inlet-outlet mechanism, machine vision hardware and software, and control system for sorting seed quality. The proposed method can estimate the shape, color, and textural features of seeds that are provided as input neurons of neural networks in order to classify seeds as "good" and "not good" (NG). The results show the accuracies of classification to be 91.53% and 88.95% for good and NG seeds, respectively. The experimental results indicate that Chinese cabbage seeds can be sorted efficiently using the developed system.

Prognostic significance of X-ray cross-complementing gene 1 expression in gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to identify the prognostic significance of X-ray cross-complementing gene 1 (XRCC1) in patients with gastric cancer undergoing surgery and platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to evaluate XRCC1 protein expression profiles on surgical specimens of 612 gastric cancer patients. The relationship between XRCC1 expression and existing prognostic factors, platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 612 patients staged Ⅱ/Ⅲ in our study, 182 (29.74%) were evaluated as XRCC1 IHC positive. XRCC1 expression was not significantly related to OS (P = 0.347) or DFS (P = 0.297). Compared with surgery only, platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved the OS (P = 0.031). And the patients with negative XRCC1 expression benefited more from platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy (P = 0.049). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that tumor size, T category, N category, vascular or nerve invasion and platinum-based chemotherapy were good prognostic factors for OS (P < 0.05). Though XRCC1 plays an important role in DNA repair pathways, no significant relationship is found in XRCC1 expression and OS among gastric cancer in our study. CONCLUSIONS: XRCC1 might be an alternative prognostic marker for the patients of gastric cancer after radical resection. The patients with negative XRCC1 expression can benefit more from platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy.

Metabolic profiling reveals that PNPLA3 induces widespread effects on metabolism beyond triacylglycerol remodeling in Huh-7 hepatoma cells.

PNPLA3 was recently associated with the susceptibility to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a common cause of chronic liver disease characterized by abnormal triglyceride accumulation. Although it is established that PNPLA3 has both triacylglycerol lipase and acylglycerol O-acyltransferase activities, is still unknown whether the gene has any additional role in the modulation of the human liver metabolome. To uncover the functional role of PNPLA3 on liver metabolism, we performed high-throughput metabolic profiling of PNPLA3 siRNA-silencing and overexpression of wild-type and mutant Ile148Met variants (isoleucine/methionine substitution at codon 148) in Huh-7 cells. Metabolomic analysis was performed by using GC/MS and LC/MS platforms. Silencing of PNPLA3 was associated with a global perturbation of Huh-7 hepatoma cells that resembled a catabolic response associated with protein breakdown. A significant decrease in amino- and γ-glutamyl-amino acids and dipeptides and a significant increase in cysteine sulfinic acid, myo-inositol, lysolipids, sphingolipids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids were observed. Overexpression of the PNPLA3 Met148 variant mirrored many of the metabolic changes observed during gene silencing, but in the opposite direction. These findings were replicated by the exploration of canonical pathways associated with PNPLA3 silencing and Met148 overexpression. Overexpression of the PNPLA3 Met148 variant was associated with a 1.75-fold increase in lactic acid, suggesting a shift to anaerobic metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction. Together, these results suggest a critical role of PNPLA3 in the modulation of liver metabolism beyond its classical participation in triacylglycerol remodeling.

Post-paracentesis circulatory derangements are related to monocyte activation.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Post-paracentesis circulatory dysfunction is associated with development of hepatorenal syndrome and increased mortality. The impact of large volume paracentesis (LVP) on the 24-h blood pressure (BP) profile is unknown, and the relationship to Na+-retentive and pro-inflammatory cytokines also remains unknown. The aims of this study were to (i) define the effects of LVP with albumin administration on 24-h BP profiles, and (ii) relate changes in BP over time to changes in Na+-retentive hormones, clinical factors and inflammatory cytokines. METHODS: Ten patients undergoing LVP had 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring performed pre- and post-paracentesis. Markers of the innate immune system, bacterial translocation and Na+-retentive hormones were drawn pre- and post-LVP. RESULTS: Mean arterial pressure (MAP) dropped in nine of the 10 patients in the 24 h following a paracentesis compared to 24 h preceding the procedure (mean drop of 5.5 mmHg, P<0.005). A mixed effects model was used to define time-covariate interactions in predicting changes in BP profile. Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP1) was associated with Δsystolic BP (ß=-0.011, P<0.05), Δdiastolic BP (ß=-0.012, P<0.05) and ΔMAP (ß=-0.012, P<0.05). Plasma renin activity was also significantly associated with Δsystolic BP (ß=-0.21, P<0.05). Renal function was also significantly reduced following LVP. CONCLUSIONS: Systolic, diastolic and MAP decreased over 24 h after LVP compared to the 24 h pre-LVP. This drop is related to increases in MCP-1 after LVP. Increased MCP-1, a marker of monocyte activation, was strongly related to changes in BP.

Vedolizumab for induction and maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND: Cellular adhesion molecules play an important role in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis, making selective blockade of these molecules a promising therapeutic strategy. Vedolizumab, a recombinant humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody, inhibits adhesion and migration of leukocytes into the gastrointestinal tract by binding the alpha4beta7 integrin. Animal studies have suggested that vedolizumab may be a useful therapy for ulcerative colitis. This updated systematic review summarizes the current evidence on the use of vedolizumab for induction and maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis. OBJECTIVES: The primary objectives were to determine the efficacy and safety of vedolizumab used for induction and maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis. SEARCH METHODS: A computer-assisted search for relevant studies (inception to 15 June 2014) was performed using PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL. References from published articles and conference proceedings were searched to identify additional citations. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials comparing vedolizumab to placebo or a control therapy for induction or maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias for each trial. The primary outcomes were failure to induce clinical remission and relapse. Secondary outcomes included failure to induce a clinical response, failure to induce endoscopic remission, failure to induce an endoscopic response, quality of life, adverse events, serious adverse events and withdrawal due to adverse events. We calculated the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each outcome. Data were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. The overall quality of the evidence supporting the outcomes was evaluated using the GRADE criteria. MAIN RESULTS: Four studies (606 patients) were included. All of the studies were rated as having a low risk of bias. Pooled analyses revealed that vedolizumab was significantly superior to placebo for induction of remission, clinical response, and endoscopic remission and prevention of relapse. After 4 to 6 weeks of therapy 77% (293/382) of vedolizumab patients failed to enter clinical remission compared to 92% (205/224) of placebo patients (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.91; 4 studies 606 patients). After 6 weeks of therapy 48% of vedolizumab patients failed to have a clinical response compared to 72% of placebo patients (RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.78; 3 studies 601 patients). After 4 to 6 weeks of therapy 68% of vedolizumab patients failed to enter endoscopic remission compared to 81% of placebo patients (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.91; 3 studies, b583 patients). After 52 weeks of therapy, 54% of vedolizumab patients had a clinical relapse compared to 84% of placebo patients (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.77; 1 study, 373 patients). One small study (28 patients) found no statistically significant difference in endoscopic response (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.62 to 1.61). GRADE analyses indicated that the overall quality of the evidence for the primary outcomes was high for induction of remission and moderate for relapse (due to sparse data 246 events). There was no statistically significant difference between vedolizumab and placebo in terms of the risk of any adverse event (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.07), or serious adverse events (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.42). There was a statistically significant difference in withdrawals due to adverse events. Six per cent of vedolizumab patients withdrew due to an adverse event compared to 11% of placebo patients (RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.87; 2 studies, 941 patients). Adverse events commonly reported across the studies included: worsening ulcerative colitis, headache, nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infection, nausea, and abdominal pain. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Moderate to high quality data from four studies shows that vedolizumab is superior to placebo for induction of clinical remission and response and endoscopic remission in patients with moderate to severely active ulcerative colitis and prevention of relapse in patients with quiescent ulcerative colitis. Moderate quality data from one study suggests that vedolizumab is superior to placebo for prevention of relapse in patients with quiescent ulcerative colitis. Adverse events appear to be similar to placebo. Future trials are needed to define the optimal dose, frequency of administration and long-term efficacy and safety of vedolizumab used for induction and maintenance therapy of ulcerative colitis. Vedolizumab should be compared to other currently approved therapies for ulcerative colitis in these trials.

Prognostic significance of ERCC1 expression in postoperative patients with gastric cancer.

AIM: This study explored the correlation between the expression of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) and the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. METHODS: From January 2005 to December 2008, 605 patients who underwent radical surgery in The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were enrolled. We conducted the follow-up every 6 months and its contents included a comprehensive medical history, tumor markers and abdominal ultrasound or CT and other imaging findings. Deadline was April 30, 2013 and follow-up time between 51 to 91 months. Survival time is calculated from the date of diagnosis to death or last follow-up date. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to assess the expression of ERCC1 in resected samples. The relationship between ERCC1 expression and survival of patients was investigated. The comparison of count data were analyzed by Chi-square test. Median survival time (MST) and the 5-year survival rate were calculated by life table analysis. The Kaplan-Meier curves were used for survival analysis. RESULTS: ERCC1 expression was positive in 412 patients (68.1%). There is no significant difference between ERCC1-positive group and ERCC1-negative group in terms of the MST and 5-year survival rate (P=0.455). The MST and 5-year survival rate have no significant difference (P=0.162) between group with chemotherapy and group with no chemotherapy in patients with ERCC1-positive expression. However, the MST and 5-year survival rate in patients with ERCC1-negative expression benefited more from with chemotherapy (P=0.019). The ERCC1-positive patients survived longer than those ERCC1-negative patients (P=0.183) in subgroup with no adjuvant chemotherapy. In the subgroup analysis, ERCC1 expression had no significant relationship with overall survival in patients with stage II or III gastric cancer (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ERCC1 might be a good prognostic factor for the patients of gastric cancer after radical resection. Patients with ERCC1-negative expression could benefit more from adjuvant chemotherapy.

Intelligent anti-impact elastomers by precisely tailoring the topology of modular polymer networks.

High-performance elastomers are essential in daily life and various industrial sectors such as personal protection, soft electronics, and vibration control. Nevertheless, despite massive efforts, concurrently achieving ultrahigh flexibility and remarkable impact resistance continues to be elusive. Herein, we report an innovative modular construction strategy that employs a topology-tailoring polymer network consisting of stereoscopic (epoxy-oligosiloxane nanoclusters) and linear (amino-terminated polyurea) building blocks as independent modules to develop intelligent anti-impact elastomers via an epoxy-amine mechanism. By precisely tailoring the topology of building blocks, the elastomers demonstrate high flexibility and toughness, remarkable impact responsiveness and ultrahigh energy dissipation. Their anti-impact ability surpasses those of most common soft and rigid materials such as steel, plastic, rubber, foam, or even polyborosiloxane. Moreover, the elastomers are well-qualified for use in flexible display technologies, owing to their high transparency (>92% transmittance), exceptional fold-resistance (no creasing after 10 000 bends), and good thermal stability (no discoloration at 100 °C). Furthermore, the elastomers exhibit excellent versatility, enabling them to be combined with either soft or rigid materials to generate composites with ultrahigh puncture and ballistic resistance. This study offers a promising framework for the design and fabrication of intelligent anti-impact elastomers and provides valuable insights into the development of next-generation protective materials.

A composite enzyme derived from papain and chymotrypsin reduces the Allergenicity of Cow's Milk allergen casein by targeting T and B cell epitopes.

Casein, the major allergen in cow's milk, presents a significant challenge in providing nutritional support for children with allergies. To address this issue, we investigated a composite enzyme, comprising papain and chymotrypsin, to reduce the allergenicity of casein. Enzymatic hydrolysis induced substantial structural changes in casein, diminishing its affinity for specific IgE and IgG antibodies. Additionally, in a BALB/c mouse model, casein hydrolysate alleviated allergic symptoms, evidenced by lower serum IgE and IgG levels, reduced plasma histamine, and decreased Th2 cytokine release during cell co-culture. Peptidomic analysis revealed a 52.38% and 60% reduction in peptides containing IgE epitopes in casein hydrolyzed by the composite enzyme compared to papain and chymotrypsin, respectively, along with a notable absence of previously reported T cell epitopes. These results demonstrate the potential of enzyme combinations to enhance the efficiency of epitope destruction in allergenic proteins, providing valuable insights into the development of hypoallergenic dairy products.

Review of inflammatory bowel disease in China.

Inflammatory bowel disease mainly consisting of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease has been rising gradually during the last two decades in China. In this review article, we provide the latest epidemiological trends in incidence, prevalence, and mortality of IBD patients in China and summarize the risk factors and genetic susceptibility of Chinese IBD patients. We also compare these characteristics to those of IBD patients in Western countries.

Creation of an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Referral Pathway for Identifying Patients Who Would Benefit From Inflammatory Bowel Disease Specialist Consultation.

BACKGROUND: Recommendations regarding signs and symptoms that should prompt referral of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to an IBD specialist for a consultation could serve to improve the quality of care for these patients. Our aim was to develop a consult care pathway consisting of clinical features related to IBD that should prompt appropriate consultation. METHODS: A scoping literature review was performed to identify clinical features that should prompt consultation with an IBD specialist. A panel of 11 experts was convened over 4 meetings to develop a consult care pathway using the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method. Items identified via scoping review were ranked and were divided into major and minor criteria. Additionally, a literature and panel review was conducted assessing potential barriers and facilitators to implementing the consult care pathway. RESULTS: Of 43 features assessed, 13 were included in the care pathway as major criteria and 15 were included as minor criteria. Experts agreed that stratification into major criteria and minor criteria was appropriate and that 1 major or 2 or more minor criteria should be required to consider consultation. The greatest barrier to implementation was considered to be organizational resource allocation, while endorsements by national gastroenterology and general medicine societies were considered to be the strongest facilitator. CONCLUSIONS: This novel referral care pathway identifies key criteria that could be used to triage patients with IBD who would benefit from IBD specialist consultation. Future research will be required to validate these findings and assess the impact of implementing this pathway in routine IBD-related care.

This study aimed to develop a care pathway consisting of clinical features that should prompt inflammatory bowel disease expert consultation. A scoping literature review was performed to identify attributes, and an expert panel finalized the structure and components of the pathway.

Study on the uranium (U(⠥)) adsorption stability of high-dose γ-ray-irradiated clay.

The Alxa region (Inner Mongolia, China) is one of the areas preselected for use as a geological repository of high-level radioactive waste in China. Radioactive waste produces radioactive rays during long-term storage, and the cumulative absorbed dose in 1000 years can significantly exceed the maximum of 0.7 MGy, thereby challenging the long-term adsorption stability of clay. This study employed 60Co gamma (γ)-rays to irradiate clay in air under a dose rate of 10 kGy/h. The changes in the internal structure and mechanisms of clay under different gamma radiation doses (1, 2, and 3 MGy) were investigated. Additionally, the adsorption properties of irradiated clay for U(Ⅵ) were tested under different conditions. The clay samples underwent minimal structural changes following high-dose irradiation, and the interlayer spacing was altered due to the fractured framework, dehydroxylation, and radiolysis of water. After irradiation, the Fe (Ⅱ) content in clay was significantly increased, unlike Fe (Ⅲ) content. The adsorption mechanisms of clay before and after the experiments were verified, revealing that the adsorption capacity of irradiated clay to U(Ⅵ) is reduced.

Celiac disease in normal-weight and overweight children: clinical features and growth outcomes following a gluten-free diet.

OBJECTIVES: There are few data on pediatric celiac disease in the United States. The aim of our study was to describe the presentation of celiac disease among children with a normal and an elevated body mass index (BMI) for age, and to study their BMI changes following a gluten-free diet (GFD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred forty-two children (age 13 months-19 years) with biopsy-proven celiac disease, contained in a registry of patients studied at our center from 2000 to 2008, had follow-up growth data available. Patients' height, weight, and BMI were converted to z scores for age and grouped by BMI as underweight, normal, and overweight. Compliance was confirmed using results of serological assays, and data of noncompliant patients were analyzed separately. Data were analyzed during the observation period and were expressed as change in height, weight, and BMI z score per month of dietary treatment. RESULTS: Nearly 19% of patients had an elevated BMI at diagnosis (12.6% overweight, 6% obese) and 74.5% presented with a normal BMI. The mean duration of follow-up was 35.6 months. Seventy-five percent of patients with an elevated BMI at diagnosis decreased their BMI z scores significantly after adherence to a GFD, normalizing it in 44% of cases. Of patients with a normal BMI at diagnosis, weight z scores increased significantly after treatment, and 13% became overweight. CONCLUSIONS: Both normal weight and overweight frequently occur in North American children presenting with celiac disease. A GFD may have a beneficial effect upon the BMI of overweight and obese children with celiac disease.

Double-blind randomized controlled trial of rifaximin for persistent symptoms in patients with celiac disease.

BACKGROUND: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is one cause of a poor response to a gluten-free diet (GFD) and persistent symptoms in celiac disease. Rifaximin has been reported to improve symptoms in non-controlled trials. AIMS: To determine the effect of rifaximin on gastrointestinal symptoms and lactulose-hydrogen breath tests in patients with poorly responsive celiac disease. METHODS: A single-center, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial of patients with biopsy-proven celiac disease and persistent gastrointestinal symptoms despite a GFD was conducted. Patients were randomized to placebo (n = 25) or rifaximin (n = 25) 1,200 mg daily for 10 days. They completed the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) and underwent lactulose-hydrogen breath tests at weeks 0, 2, and 12. An abnormal breath test was defined as: (1) a rise in hydrogen of ≥20 parts per million (ppm) within 100 min, or (2) two peaks ≥20 ppm over baseline. RESULTS: GSRS scores were unaffected by treatment with rifaximin, regardless of baseline breath tests. In a multivariable regression model, the duration of patients' gastrointestinal symptoms significantly predicted their overall GSRS scores (estimate 0.029, p < 0.006). According to criteria 1 and 2, respectively, SIBO was present in 55 and 8% of patients at baseline, intermittently present in 28 and 20% given placebo, and 28 and 12% given rifaximin. There was no difference in the prevalence of SIBO between placebo and treatment groups at weeks 2 and 12. CONCLUSIONS: Rifaximin does not improve patients' reporting of gastrointestinal symptoms and hydrogen breath tests do not reliably identify who will respond to antibiotic therapy.

Prospective study of the role of duodenal bulb biopsies in the diagnosis of celiac disease.

BACKGROUND: Studies have demonstrated that villous atrophy in celiac disease is patchy and have suggested that duodenal bulb biopsies aid in diagnosis. OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of the addition of duodenal bulb biopsies to distal duodenum (D2) biopsies in the diagnosis of celiac disease. DESIGN: Prospective, case-control study. SETTING: Tertiary referral hospital. PATIENTS: Patients undergoing upper endoscopy with biopsy for diagnosis or follow-up of celiac disease and control patients. INTERVENTIONS: Blinded review of duodenal biopsy samples. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Increasing the yield as well as accuracy of the histologic diagnosis of celiac disease with the addition of bulb biopsies. RESULTS: Of 128 patients enrolled in the study, 67 had celiac disease. Of 1079 biopsy specimens, only 319 (30%) were adequate for complete histologic analysis, resulting in 40 celiac patients and 40 control patients for analysis. Of the 40 celiac patients, 35 (87.5%) had atrophy in either the bulb or D2, 30 (75%) exhibited atrophy at both sites with an identical grade of atrophy seen in 18 patients (45%). Fourteen patients (35%) had identical types of Marsh lesions in both biopsy sites. Twelve patients (30%) had atrophy detected in the bulb, D2, or both, but lacked intraepithelial lymphocytes and thus could not be assigned a Marsh grade. Five patients (13%) had a diagnosis of celiac disease based on findings in the bulb biopsy only. LIMITATIONS: Small sample size and study performed in an academic medical center. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms the patchy nature of villous atrophy as well as intraepithelial lymphocytosis in biopsy specimens from individuals with celiac disease. Adding duodenal bulb biopsies to our sampling regimen increased the diagnostic yield of celiac disease.

Body mass index in celiac disease: beneficial effect of a gluten-free diet.

BACKGROUND: There is concern about celiac disease patients being overweight and gaining more weight while on a gluten-free diet (GFD). AIM: To investigate body mass index (BMI) and effect of GFD on BMI of celiac disease patients in the United States where obesity is a systematic problem. METHODS: BMI at diagnosis and after 2.8 years (mean) on a GFD were compared with national data. RESULTS: Among our patients (n=369, 67.2% female), 17.3% were underweight, 60.7% normal, 15.2% overweight, and 6.8% obese. All patients were followed by a dietitian. Compared with national data, females had lower BMI (21.9 vs. 24.2, P<0.0001) and fewer were overweight (11% vs. 21%, P<0.0001); more males had a normal BMI (59.5% vs. 34%, P<0.0001) and fewer were underweight (9.1% vs. 26.7%, P<0.0001). Factors associated with low BMI were female sex, Marsh IIIb/c histology, and presentation with diarrhea. On GFD, 66% of those who were underweight gained weight, whereas 54% of overweight and 47% of obese patients lost weight. CONCLUSIONS: A GFD had a beneficial impact on BMI, underweight patients gained weight and overweight/obese patients lost weight. The improvement in BMI adds to the impetus to diagnose celiac disease. Expert dietary counseling may be a major factor in the beneficial effects we noted.

The association between celiac disease, dental enamel defects, and aphthous ulcers in a United States cohort.

GOALS AND BACKGROUND: European studies have demonstrated that dental enamel defects and oral aphthae are observed in celiac disease (CD). We investigated this association in a US population. STUDY: Biopsy proven CD patients and controls were recruited from a private dental practice and from CD support meetings. History of aphthae was taken and dental examination was performed by a single dentist. Teeth were photographed and enamel defects graded according to the Aine classification. A second dentist reviewed all photographs. RESULTS: Among patients (n=67, mean age 34.8+/-21.6 y) compared with controls (n=69, mean age 28.1+/-15.7 y), there were significantly more enamel defects [51% vs. 30%, P=0.016, odds ratio (OR) 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-4.8]. This was confined to children (87% vs. 33%, P=0.003, OR 13.3, 95% CI 3.0-58.6), but not adults (32% vs. 29%, P=0.76, OR 1.2, 95% CI 0.5-2.8). This was reflected in defects being observed in those with mixed dentition compared with those with permanent dentition (68.4% vs. 29.6%, P<0.0001). The degree of agreement between the 2 dentists was good (kappa coefficient=0.53, P<0.0001), aphthous ulcers were more frequent in CD than controls (42.4% vs. 23.2%, P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: This study supports that CD is highly associated with dental enamel defects in childhood, most likely because of the onset of CD during enamel formation; no such association was found in adults. Our study also supports the association between CD and aphthous ulcer. All physicians should examine the mouth, including the teeth, which may provide an opportunity to diagnose CD. In addition, CD should be added to the differential diagnosis of dental enamel defects and aphthous ulcers.

Thyroid antibody status exerts insignificant effect on lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer.

BACKGROUND: To investigate whether high thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) levels are associated with increased risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM) of thyroid cancer. METHODS: Data of 2,352 patients who committed thyroidectomy from January 2018 to December 2018 at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. Of which, 806 patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer with available data of both TPOAb and TgAb were finally included, and were divided into four groups: (I) TPOAb-/TgAb- (control, n=493), (II) TPOAb+/TgAb- (n=96), (III) TPOAb-/TgAb+ (n=104), and (IV) TPOAb+/TgAb+ (n=113). The demographic and clinicopathological data were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared to control, significantly less extrathyroidal invasions were identified in TPOAb+ and/or TgAb+ patients (P<0.05), while no significant differences for tumor size, multifocality, or central/lateral neck LNM rate were found for TPOAb+ and/or TgAb+ groups (all P>0.05). Compared to control, significantly more lymph nodes were removed during neck dissection (P<0.05), but there were no significant differences for the number or size of lymph nodes involved (all P>0.05) for TPOAb+ and/or TgAb+ patients. TPOAb+ and/or TgAb+ were not identified as risk factors or protect factors of LNM of thyroid cancer in Logistic regression analyses. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, we demonstrated that anti-thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin antibodies are not associated with increased risk of lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer.

Sucrose transportation control mediates the fresh-keeping effects of burdock fructooligosaccharide in 'Crimson Seedless' grapes.

In 'Crimson Seedless' grapes, the appearance of senescence caused by abnormal dark red color, the loss of crisp taste caused by the decrease in firmness, and the fading of sweetness caused by the decrease in total soluble sugar (TSS) are the main problems affecting its edible qualities after storage. In the mesocarp, burdock fructooligosaccharide (BFO) restricted sucrose export; therefore, more carbohydrates were retained directly leading to higher TSS and sweetness, and cell osmotic pressure and firmness were retained indirectly. In the exocarp, BFO restricted sucrose import; therefore, the signal molecule sucrose was reduced and the senescence-related processes were inhibited. The downregulation of SUC12 and SUC27 by BFO may play an important role in restricting sucrose transportation. The opposing effects exhibited by exogenous sucrose treatments compared to those of BFO further verified these mechanisms. Based on the above mechanisms, sucrose transportation mediates the fresh-keeping effects of BFO in 'Crimson Seedless' grapes.

Fe-TCPP@CS nanoparticles as photodynamic and photothermal agents for efficient antimicrobial therapy.

Traditional antimicrobial therapies always rely on antibiotics, which have led to the overuse of antibiotics and caused the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in recent years. In this study, an efficient and broad-spectrum antimicrobial system based on chitosan (CS)-encapsulated multifunctional metal-organic nanoparticles (Fe-TCPP@CS NPs) was constructed to integrate the electrostatic targeting property and photodynamic and photothermal antimicrobial therapies. Tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (TCPP) coordinated with Fe3O clusters to form nanoparticles, Fe3O clusters enabled low-temperature photothermal therapy as well as avoiding the porphyrins self-aggregation to ensure the singlet oxygen yield under irradiation, and CS as the outer layer covered on Fe-TCPP nanoparticles could improve the dispersibility in aqueous solution and enhance the electrostatic binding with bacterial cell membranes to improve the antibacterial activities. After simple synthesis, we successfully obtained ideal and biocompatible multifunctional nanoparticles and verified their antimicrobial properties. Under light irradiation, Fe-TCPP@CS NPs could produce enough ROS and heat to kill S. aureus, E. coli and methicillin-resistant S. aureus with a synergistic effect. Therefore, Fe-TCPP@CS NPs would be an efficient and broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent, providing a novel approach to bacterial infection therapy.